Minamoto refers to:
"...the middle twentieth century." (p. 25)
- and to:
"...the inactive entertainment, notably television, which had come to dominate recreation." (ibid.)
Here, uniquely in Poul Anderson's Technic History, there is a reference to a time not only before the date at which this story is set, in 2057, but even before it was published, in 1981. Here, in this chronologically earliest although much later written instalment, there is at last a link between the world as we have experienced it and the future history of Technic civilization.
III begins with a second very welcome flashback to the Chronos, this time to a conversation between Scobie and Broberg. I empathise with these characters more readily when they converse normally in civilized surroundings than when they fantasise on an uninhabitable Saturnian moon. The contradiction between the insides and outsides of their heads is way too big.
11 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Yea, the fictional writer Minamoto literally referred to that "...middle twentieth century," which I understood to mean 1950-60. It was during those years that TV started becoming so dominant a type of inactive entertainment.
I've found "The Saturn Game" the most difficult of the Technic timeline stories, because of my lack of sympathy for role playing games. But that was good, it shows Anderson as being able to yet again write outside of his comfort zone!
Ad astra! Sean
Interesting catch.
Might have a couple of others: IIRC, 1) in one of Flandry's adventures, he refers - very obliquely - to WWI/WWII aviators, and 2) one of his commands is a small warship named after Erwin Rommel; which, if I recall correctly, Flandry confuses with someone from a German-settled daughter colony of Earth.
Kaor, Dave!
Thanks!
I don't recall Flandry's oblique reference to WWI/WWII aviators, but I do remember how he seized a subdestroyer named the "Erwin Rommel" from the McCormac rebels in THE REBEL WORLDS. He wondered if the ship had been named after someone from Nova Germania.
After more than a thousand years it would not be reasonable to expect most people in Flandry's time to recall at once who Erwin Rommel was, unless someone had taken an interest in ancient history.
Ad astra! Sean
I'm interested in Carolingian Europe, at least midly, but I'd be damned if I could recognize the names of all Charlemagne's generals, which would be comparable.
Personally I don't think THE SATURN GAME was a good idea. The problem with anchoring a future history in the -near- future is that it dates rapidly.
That was the big weakness of Heinlein's future history, and until THE SATURN GAME the Technic history avoided that trap.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Nice analogy, mentioning the Carolingian Empire. And I'm sure we both recall Count Roland, Oliver, and Ganelon, to list three of Charlemagne's paladins. But none of the others, except Archbishop Turpin, comes so easily to mind. And I did read translations of THE SONG OF ROLAND by Dorothy L. Sayers and Burton Raffel!
And of course Holger Danske whom we see in THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS, another paladin of Charlemagne in the Carolingian legends.
I understand your point about "The Saturn Game," even if I don't entirely agree with it. I was glad to see "some" linking ups with our times. Also, the story is still set about 20 years in our future. Forty plus must have seemed safely distant when it was first pub. in 1981!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: yeah, in 1981 the middle 21st century seemed safely distant... but time marches on.
It's a pity Poul didn't live to see SpaceX, though -- he'd have loved it. Starship 3 launch pending!
Kaor, to All and then Mr. Stirling!
All: Dr. Shackley's daughter emailed me to let me know her father is again having computer problems and does not expect to come back to the blog for another seven to ten days. She asked me to inform blog readers in the comments box.
I am glad Paul is absent only because of computer problems.
Mr. Stirling: Too true, about time marching on!
Absolutely! I wish Anderson could have lived to see the successes achieved by Elon Musk and SpaceX! I hope manned expeditions are soon going to be sent to the Moon and Mars. Yes, Anderson would have loved this!
And I'll be looking up Starship 3!
Ad astra for real!!! Sean
I hope Paul will be able to come back in three or five more days.
Sean
Sean: me too.
I am back but taking a while to get back into things. Visiting Andrea tomoz. (See references on the blog.)
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: Absolutely!
Paul: Welcome back! And I hope you won't have computer problems again for a long, long, long time!
Ad astra! Sean
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